Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Fall Delano’

ABSTRACT

A distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Fall Delano’, characterized by its upright and uniformly mounded plant habit; freely branching habit; strong plant growth; large and very dark green leaves; uniform flowering; large decorative disbud-type inflorescences that are about 11.9 cm in diameter; attractive dulled red ray florets; with cool temperatures and low light conditions, ray floret color can range from a yellow ray base with reddish bronze apices to yellow; and good postproduction longevity with inflorescences and leaves maintaining good substance and color for about three weeks in an interior environment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofChrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Dendranthema grandiflora andhereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Fall Delano.

The new Chrysanthemum is a product of a mutation induction breedingprogram conducted by the Inventor in Fort Myers, Fla., and Salinas,Calif. The objective of the program is to create new Chrysanthemumcultivars with desirable inflorescence form and floret colors, andmoderate plant post-production longevity.

The new Chrysanthemum originated by exposing unrooted cuttings of theChrysanthemum cultivar Spring Delano, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No.9,843, to gamma radiation in September, 1993, in Fort Myers, Fla.Following the radiation treatment, the cuttings were rooted and terminalapices were removed (pinched) three times to promote lateral branchdevelopment. After lateral branches from the third pinch reachedsufficient size, terminal cuttings were harvested, planted and floweredin a controlled environment in Salinas, Calif. The new Chrysanthemum wasdiscovered and selected by the inventor as a single flowering plantwithin this population in March, 1994. The selection of this plant wasbased on its desirable inflorescence form and floret colors and goodpost-production longevity.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by terminal cuttingsharvested in a controlled environment in Fort Myers, Fla., has shownthat the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable andreproduced true in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Fall Delano has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Fall Delano’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Fall Delano’ as an new and distinctChrysanthemum:

1. Upright and uniformly mounded plant habit.

2. Freely branching habit.

3. Strong plant growth.

4. Large and very dark green leaves.

5. Uniform flowering.

6. Large decorative disbud-type inflorescences that are about 11.9 cm indiameter.

7. Attractive dulled red ray florets; when grown under cooler, low lightconditions, ray floret color can range from a yellow ray base withreddish bronze apices to yellow occasionally with bronze flecking.

8. Good postproduction longevity with inflorescences and leavesmaintaining good substance and color for about three weeks in aninterior environment.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the parentcultivar Spring Delano. However, in side-by-side comparisons conductedby the Inventor under commercial practice in Salinas, Calif., plants ofthe new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Spring Delanoin the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowers about 2 to 5 days later thanplants of the cultivar Spring Delano.

2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum do not flower as uniformly as plantsof the cultivar Spring Delano.

3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have fewer ray florets perinflorescence than plants of the cultivar Spring Delano.

4. Ray floret color of plants of the new Chrysanthemum is dull redwhereas ray floret color of plants of Spring Delano is reddish purple.

The new Chrysanthemum can be compared to the Chrysanthemum cultivar RedDelano, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,345 a radiation inducedmutation of the cultivar Delano, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,950.However in side-by side comparsions in Salinas, Calif., and Leamington,Ontario, Canada, under commerical practice, plants of the newChrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Red Delano in thefollowing characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowers about 2 to 5 days later thanplants of the cultivar Red Delano.

2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum do not flower as uniformly as plantsof the cultivar Red Delano.

3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have fewer ray florets perinflorescence than plants of the cultivar Red Delano.

4. When grown under warm, high light conditions, ray floret color of newChrysanthemum is dulled red whereas ray floret color of the cultivar RedDelano is darker and richer red.

5. When grown under cool, low light conditions, ray floret color of newChrysanthemum will be bronze to yellow whereas dark red ray floret colorof the cultivar Red Delano is maintained.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Chrysanthemum showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘Fall Delano’.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet comprises a close-up viewof upper (left) and lower (right) surfaces of typical inflorescences.

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet comprises a close-upview of upper (left) and lower (right) surfaces of typical leaves of thecultivar Fall Delano.

The photograph at the top of the third sheet comprises a sideperspective view of typical flowering plants of ‘Fall Delano’ (left) and‘Red Delano’ (right).

The photograph at the bottom of the third sheet comprises a close-upview of upper surfaces of typical inflorescences of plants of ‘FallDelano’ (left) and ‘Red Delano’ (right).

The photographs on the fourth sheet comprises close-up views of typicalinflorescences of plants grown under cool and low light conditions(top); warmer and higher light conditions (middle) and warm and highlight conditions (bottom). Floret and foliage colors in the photographsmay appear different from the actual colors due to light reflectance.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms ofordinary dictionary signficance are used. The following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown in Salinas, Calf., and Leamington,Ontario, Canada, under greenhouse conditions which approximate thosegenerally used in commercial potted Chrysanthemum production. Fourunrooted cuttings were directly stuck in a 15-cm container and pinchedonce. Plants used for this description were grown under warm and highlight conditions. Measurements and numberical values represent averagesof typical flowering plants.

Botanical classification: Dendranthema grandifora cultivar Fall Delano.

Commercial classification: Decorative disbud-type pot Chrysanthemum.

Parentage: Induced mutation of Dendranthema grandifora cultivar SpringDelano, disclosed in U.S. Plant No. 9,843.

Propagation:

Type.—Terminal tip cuttings.

Time to rooting.—Seven to ten days with soil temperatures of 21° C.

Rooting habit.—Fine, fibrous and well-branched.

Plant description:

Appearance.—Herbaceous decorative disbud-type pot Chrysanthemum.Inverted triangle; stems mostly upright; uniformly mounded appearance tothe plant. Freely branching; about four lateral branches develop afterremoval of terminal apex (pinching); dense and full plants.

Plant height.—About 39 cm.

Plant width.—About 45 cm.

Stem color.—Close to 147A.

Stem texture.—Pubescent.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate. Length: About 10.6 cm.Width: About 7.5 cm. Apex: Mucronate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Palmatelylobed, sinuses between lateral lobes mostly parallel. Texture: Upper andlower surfaces with very fine pubescence; veins prominent on lowersurface; somewhat glossy. Petiole length: About 2.5 cm. Color: Youngfoliage upper surface: Darker than 147A. Young foliage lower surface:Mature foliage upper surface: Darker than 147A. Mature foliage lowersurface: Close to 147A. Close to 147A. Venation upper surface: 147B.Venation lower surface: 147B.

Inflorescence description:

Appearance.—Decorative disbud-type inflorescence form with broadoblong-shaped ray florets. Inforescences borne on terminals abovefoliage, arising from leaf axils. Disk and ray florets arrangedacropetally on a capitulum.

Flowering response.—Under natural conditions, plant flowers in theautumn/winter in the Northern Hemisphere. At other times of the year,inflorescence initiation and development can be induced under shortday/long night conditions (at least 13.5 hours of darkness). Plantsexposed to two weeks of long day/short night conditions after plantingfollowed by photoinductive short day/long night conditions flower about8 to 8.5 weeks later.

Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences and leaves will maintain goodcolor and substance for about three weeks in an interior environment.

Quantity of Inflorescences.—As a disbud-type, all lateral inflorescencesare removed to allow for maximum terminal inflorescence size. Oneinflorescence per lateral stem; about four inflorescences per plant.

Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 6 mm. Diameter: About 1 cm. Color:Close to 147A.

Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 11.9 cm. Depth (height): About 3.9cm. Diameter of disc: About 5 mm, inconspicuous.

Ray florets.—Shape: Oblong with short corolla tube. Orientation: Mostlyincurved and upright; outer florets perpendicular to peduncle. Aspect:Mostly concave. Length: About 6.5 cm. Width: About 2.2 cm. Apex: Acuteto emarginate. Margin: Entire. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Number of rayflorets per inflorescence: About 198. Color: When opening: 183C to 183Dto 184C. Fully opened, upper surface: When plants of the newChrysanthemum are grown under warm temperatures and high lightconditions, ray florets will be dulled red, 182A overlaid with 185A.When plants of the new Chrysanthemum are grown under cool temperaturesand low light conditions, ray florets will be bronze, 179A to 180A, toyellow, 9A, overlaid with bronze, 179A, to 180A, to yellow, 9A,occasionally with bronze flecking. Fully opened, lower surface: Whenplants of the new Chrysanthemum are grown under warm temperatures andhigh light conditions, base of ray florets will be light tan;mid-section and apex, tan overlaid with 182A to 182B. When plants of thenew Chrysanthemum are grown under cool temperatures and low lightconditions, ray florets will be yellow, 8A to 8B, overlaid with close to181B to 181C.

Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular. Apex: Serrated. Length: About 6 mm. Width:Apex: About 1.5 mm. Base: About 1 mm. Number of disc florets perinflorescence: Few, about 18. Color: Immature: Greener than 154A.Mature: Apex: 9A. Base: White, 155D.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets only. Anthercolor: 13A. Pollen: Amount: Very scarce. Color: 14A. Gynoecium: Presenton both ray and disc florets.

Disease resistance: Resistance to pathogens common to Chrysanthemums hasnot been observed on plants grown under commercial greenhouseconditions.

Seed production: Seed production has not been observed.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plantnamed ‘Fall Delano’, as illustrated and described.